The lawyer representing Hoboken's former public safety director in a suit against Mayor Dawn Zimmer has alleged she perjured herself during a deposition, obstructed justice, and violated a court order compelling her to finish the partially completed deposition.

"She lied on what documents she used to prepare for the deposition, and second, she downplayed her husband's role (in her administration) to one where she (later) admitted he was involved much more than she let on," said Luis Zayas, who represents Angel Alicea, and was referring to Zimmer's husband, Stanley Grossbard.

In the suit filed in late 2011, Alicea claims he was forced to resign because he is Hispanic and because he complained about improprieties in the police department, including allegations that cops were on steroids and that the department was avoiding conducting random drug test to protect them.

Alicea, who was the city public safety director from July 2009 to April 2011, resigned "under the threat of termination and in an effort to avoid public humiliation of himself and family," according to the lawsuit. After resigning the part-time job paying $27,000, a new full-time public safety director was hired with a salary of $110,000.

Alicea resigned days after admitting he had met with Solomon Dwek, the FBI informant who secretly taped dozens of public officials for the biggest corruption sting in state history, Operation Bid Rig III. In all, 46 people were arrested, including Peter Cammarano, the Hoboken mayor who hired Alicea.

At the time, Zimmer said that she asked for Alicea's resignation because he had lied to her when he previously said he had never met with Dwek. Alicea was never charged in the federal probe and Zayas alleges Dwek was a mere pretext for the firing.

During the deposition Zimmer was asked what documents she had reviewed in preparation and she said she had only reviewed only the questions submitted her previously by Zayas and her answers. Later in the deposition she says she also reviewed a newspaper article.

"To suggest that she 'forgot' to mention a document that was reviewed only two weeks prior to the deposition is sheer nonsense," the motion alleging perjury says.

Krovatin said Zimmer "did not consider the newspaper article a 'document' in preparation for the disposition. This is a classic case of making something out of nothing."

In court papers, Zayas says that during the July 18 deposition "Zimmer testified that her had no role in her administration," and he produced a transcript of a secret recording made by Garcia during a meeting with former state Sen. Bernard Kenny and Grossbard. Garcia's suit says the pair asked him to hire a lawyer for the HHA who was a political supporter of the mayor even though Garcia objected.

Zayas' perjury motion says the transcript shows Grossbard "plays a significant role as an untitled government envoy advocating on behalf of Mayor Zimmer's policies," his role is "significant and notorious" and Zimmer lied about that. He said today that "If there is another person involved in terminating my client, that is relevant."

Although not yet representing Zimmer at the time of her deposition, Krovatin said the transcript of the recording had not been provided to the defense prior to the deposition.

"Discovery is not supposed to be and exercise in ambush," Krovatin said. "It was clear (Zayas) was trying to get testimony in Alicea to help in Garcia and he was questioning in a harassing and inappropriate way...We are going to file a cross motion terminating the mayor's deposition because of Mr. Zayas' misconduct."

The trial is set for December.

Garcia’s suit alleges Zimmer pressured him to hire her political supporters and of espousing a policy in the housing authority that would replace minorities with affluent voters in a policy of “ethnic cleansing.” The suit also names Grossbard as a defendant, as well as HHA Board Chairman Jake Stuvier.

Regarding that suit, Zimmerr said Garcia “ claims were absurd, baseless, irresponsible and he was "focused on playing the race card in order to cover up his own wrongdoing.”